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Content Marketing is Dead: Why Storytelling is the way to go

In 2015 at least, the over saturation of content is overwhelming. As more and more business come online, they compete for first page results on search engines because search engines have become the primary tool used by people to find companies on the internet.

In many ways, there has been more of an emphasis on keyword relevance as opposed to content value and this is where the problem lies. Companies have stopped telling personalized stories and instead just produce content. Everyone creates content, whether its making videos, copywriting, podcasts or infographics, the term content marketing has become quite hollow.

If your business was only going to focus on content creation, that model is not just sustainable anymore. The internet, search engines and people have evolved. Search engines like Google have become more discerning about the quality of content your business produces. People on the other hand are even more conscious about how they spend their time online and what content they consume.

This is because there is simply too much stuff to read on the internet and virtually no time to read them all. Since your time is severely limited, wouldn’t you rather spend that time reading something of genuine value?

I know I would and you??re likely to do the same too.

This is when things get economical. It can be explained simply by the laws of supply and demand. The amount of free content (supply) is increasing while our propensity to consume this content (demand) is limited.

The graph above shows us how we consume content. Factors such as technology have given us the ability to consume more content. With smartphones and tablets, we can consume more content on the go and not have to be rooted to our computers.

But you will also notice that the amount of content increases at a faster rate than what we can actually consume. This is to the detriment of everybody

Telling stories is what makes us human beings unique. So tell your story. Many marketing articles talk about having some kind of strategy, goals, calls to action and so much more.

What you should do first is tell your story. Then you can worry about the rest.

You don’t have to be worth billions to tell a story. Every business of every size has a story to tell. The problem with content creation is that it’s superfluous. Customers can become worn-out with the content that serves no other purpose than being click bait. Articles that list information (sometimes inaccurate) and over indulge themselves with larger than life headlines.

That particular type of content quickly becomes an afterthought as it is constantly regurgitated in an endless cycle of apathy. You do not need to be an expert to tell a good story. Your story need to start with a belief that you have. A belief that justifies the existence of your business and your customers.

The belief is what you should bank on. It’s the glue that holds your story together. People need to believe in your business before they become your customers. Companies that act on their beliefs end up telling the most genuine and authentic stories. The shrewd consumer isn’t buying products anymore, they buy into the company’s beliefs.

The best stories have human elements of empathy in them. A story that doesn’t make personal connections with readers is not a story but just information. Be sure to add human elements when you communicate to your audience through blogs, newsletters or on social media.

To create the ultimate story, you have to think a little bit like an author. Think about a successful book. They sell a lot of copies because people have taken the time to read them and also share them with their friends. These people keep the book on a shelf or a desk or someplace close to them. Why? Because the book is great content that affected the reader on a deep emotional level.

Wouldn’t it be amazing if your business had that kind of effect on people?

Businesses are hopefully not creating fiction. They do everything possible to use content to say different things. This is the new brand narrative. The question is, how great is that content? It’s time to think like an author again. Authors only publish books that have real value, not just for the readers but for themselves as well.

There is satisfaction derived from knowing that all the time spent laboring was well worth the effort. How many businesses embrace these habits when they create content?

What you want to do ultimately as a business is to create a world different from your competitors. A world that is better with your product or service and you also want your customers to believe this too.

This is accomplished through your customer services, the newsletters you send out, the blog articles you publish, the products and services you sell and the relationships you foster.

Conclusion
In the end, in a time where everyone is pumping out all sorts of content, you need to differentiate yourself from your competition. Create believable content that adds real value to your customers.

When your customers time for consuming content continues to decrease, your believable content will stand high among the rest. Do you have thoughts, concerns or comments you would like to share? Let me know down below!

Daniel Obaike is an Entrepreneur who likes to help organizations 'WIN'. He is very passionate about assisting Organizations in Africa and other emerging economies boost revenue, achieve sustainable growth and enhance competition by utilizing Online Marketing.

About
Daniel Obaike

Daniel Obaike is an Entrepreneur who likes to help organizations 'WIN'. He is very passionate about assisting Organizations in Africa and other emerging economies boost revenue, achieve sustainable growth and enhance competition by utilizing Online Marketing.

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[…] Am just trying to drive one point home, and that is, your product or service should be appealing enough to retain your customers. You should consistently device means to keep your customers closely knitted to your brand by telling stories of your user experience. […]